Demountable building partition construction



April 16, 1968 H. M. POLHAMUS DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING PARTITIONCONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 22, 1964 2 She ets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

m y WWW m m mm m M m A ril 16, 1968 H. M. POLHAMUS DEMOUNTABLE BUILDINGPARTITION CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 22, 1964 2 Sheets-$heet 2} INVENTOR.Harry M. Polhamus Attorney United States Patent 3,377,756 DEMOUNTABLEBUILDING PARTHTIGN CONSTRUCTKON Harry M. Polhamus, Orinda, Calif.,assignor to Movable Interior Products, a corporation of California FiiedOct. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 405,807 3 Claims. Cl. 52-220) This inventionrelates generally .to the art of building construction, and moreparticularly to the construction of interior par-tition structuresincluding solid panels, doors, glass panels, and the like.

In modern oflice buildings and similar structures, there is a frequentneed to rearrange and improvise floor plans and room designs toaccommodate the particular requirements of different building tenants.This accommodation often involves moving interior walls, substitutingdifferent types of partition panels, doors, etc., for existingstructure-s, and modifying electrical wiring or other utility services.

A difficulty often encountered in providing movable or demountablepartition structures is that there is limited service access forelectrical wiring, telephone connections or the like. Consequently,electrical wiring conduit and similar provisions must be installed atthe time the building partition is being constructed, and cannot beeasily modified or serviced after the structure is completed. Anotherdifficulty sometimes presented is in the substitution of one type ofpartition member for another, which may require extensive dismantling ofotherwise unatfected adjacent partition members. For example, if a glasspanel or a door is to be substituted for an existing solid panel, it maybe necessary to substantially disassemble the partition structuresadjacent either side of the solid panel being replaced.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide abuilding partition construction in which electrical wiring and the likecan be installed at any time during or after the assembly of a wallpartition structure, and can be readily serviced or changed withoutdisassem'bling or otherwise modifying the existing wall structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a building partitionconstruction in which various partition members can be readily replacedor rearranged without disassembling adjacent unchanged portions of thepartition construction.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a building partitionstructural support member that houses electrical wiring or similarutility conduit and retains various types of partition members such assolid panels, glass, doors, etc., and which enables installation ormodification of such conduit and replacement of such partition mem berswithout disassembly or modification of other-wise unchanged portion ofthe partition construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structural supportmember as described above that utilizes a removable retaining portionand a removable cover portion, and which provides secure retention ofsuch removable portions without threaded fasteners or other separatefastening devices.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich of the foregoing will be set forth in the following description ofthe preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of this specification. It is to beunderstood howeventhat variations in the showing made by said drawingsand description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as setforth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

3,377,756 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a building partition construction comprising a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a support member utilizedin the structure shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partially exploded transverse crosssectional view of themember shown in FIGURE 2.

A building partition construction comprising a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in FIG- URE l, and is seen to include avertical support member 12, a horizontal support member 13 having an end14 disposed adjacent the vertical member 12, the members 12 and 13 eachrespectively having elongated raceways 16 and 17 for housing utilityconduits, a solid panel partition member 18 retained by each of thesupport members, the members 12 and 13 each respectively includingselectively removal cover portions 19 and 21 for providing access to theraceways 16 and 17, the cover portions being removable from theirrespective support members without movement of the partition member 18.The aforesaid utility conduit as shown consists of electrical wiringconduit 22 which extends through the raceways 16 and 17 and connectswith outlet sockets 23 and 24 and a switch 26.

Each of the support members 12 and 13 further includes a removableretaining portion 27 and 28 for securing the panel member 18 in place.As will be described more fully hereinafter, the cover portions 19 and21 respectively engage the retaining portions 27 and 23 with the latterbeing removable only when the corresponding cover portion is removed.The cover portions, however, are removable while the retaining portionsre main in position securing the panel member. It thus will be seen thatthe electrical conduit 22 can be installed or serviced after the panel18 is secured in place simply by removing the cover portions to provideaccess to the raceways. The panel 18 can be removed from the supportmembers by removing the retaining portions 27 and 28 after thecorresponding cover portions are re moved.

Support member 12 and 13 are of identical construction and are formed toaccommodate a variety of partition arrangements as illustrated in thedrawings. The

' detailed description of these main support members with reference to atypical member 20 illustrated in the enlarged views FIGURES 2 and 3 willaccordingly suffice for a description of members 12 and 13. As will beobserved from FIGURES 2 and 3, the support member 20 is of generallyelongated channel shape having a central wall portion 29 and a pair ofspaced side walls 39 and 31 extending perpendicularly from wall 29internally from opposite side edges 36 and 38 which project as flangesperpendicularly from the side walls 30 and 31. These flanges cooperatewith flanges 34 and 37 at the outer extremities of side walls 30 and 31,for retaining wall partition members extending away from the channelmember 20. In FIGURE 1 a partition panel 18 is shown as being retainedby similar spaced flanges on members 12 and 13. A snap-in bracket 39 isshown in FIGURE 3 removably secured between the flanges 34 and 36, andis adapted to retain a glass panel 41 or similar member. Another snap-inbracket 42 is secured between opposed flanges 37 and 38, and includes aportion of 43 that forms a door jamb for a door 44. A

similar door and door jamb are illustrated in FIGURE 1 adjacent thevertical support member 12.

An elongated front wall cover portion 46 is removably secured across theouter ends of the side walls 30 and 31 in spaced relation with centralportion 29 to define a service raceway 47 within the channel member 26.The cover portion 46 is removable from the side wall portionsindependently of the spaced flange retaining means. In the preferredform of the invention as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the removable coverportion 46 is secured in place by means of an elongated ridge 48provided longitudinally on the said wall 31 in confronting relation withthe side wall 30 and an elongated ridge or boss 49 providedlongitudinally on the side wall 36 in confronting relation with ridge48. The edge 51 of the cover portion 46 has an elongated groove 52therein that is engageable with the ridge 43,

and an elongated flexible resilient flange or clasp 53 extends inwardlyfrom the cover portion 46 for engagement with the boss 49. To insert thecover 46, the groove 52 is first engaged with the ridge 48, and thecover 46 is then pivoted about the axis of the ridge 43 until the flange53 resiliently engages the ridge 49 and snaps into locking engagementtherewith.

In accordance with the present invention and as an important featurethereof, flange 34 is provided by a separate slide-out member removablyretained in position on the outer end of wall 39 by the front wall 46when the later is in closed position; and the flange member 34 may beremoved as desired to repair or replace the partition member retainedthereby only after the front wall member 46 is removed. The slide-outflange member 34 corresponds with the removable retaining portions 27and 28 described in connection with the showing in FIGURE 1. As will bebest seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, boss 49 is formed with a longitudinallyextendwall 30 in parallel opposed relation to flange 36 for retainingpartition members, brackets, and the like of the type above described.An end portion 58 of cover 46 overlies and engages a portion of theflange member 34 outside of the tongue 57 so as to prevent the slidingout of the tongue from its engaged position in slot 56. As here shown,member 34 is formed with a recess 59 which received the edge portion 58with the outer surfaces of the members substantially flush and neatfitting as seen in FIGURE 2. Also the slide out member 34 is preventedfrom being separated from the main channel member 20 by means of aninternal ridge or shoulder 61 formed on the cover plate member 46 at theedge portion 58 and which is received within an interlocking groove 62provided in recess 59.

As will be observed from the foregoing the cover 46 can be removed toprovide access to the raceway 47 while the flange member 34 is leftundisturbed in its support of the partition holding bracket 42. In theevent it becomes necessary or desirable to repair or replace aparticular partition member being secured to the flange member 34, thelatter is simply removed by sliding the tongue 57 out of the slot 56.The parts may then be reassembled by repositioning the flange member 34as illustrated in FIGURE 3 and then snapping the cover member 46.Preferably and as here shown, tongue 57 extends from the plane of flangemember 34 at about 45 degrees and slot 56 is formed in boss 49 so as toopen out diagonally at about 45 degrees with respect to wall 30 andfront cover member 46. Accordingly to insert or remove flange 34 asdepicted in FIGURE 3, the flange member is required to move diagonallywith respect to wall 31 and cover member 46 as illustrated.

In the preferred form of the invention the channel member 27, theretaining portion 54, and the cover portion 46 are all constructed fromextruded aluminum. It wil be appreciated that aluminum has sufficientflexibility and resiliency to enable the flange 53 to engage the ridge49 for selective snap-in positioning and removal of the cover portion46.

In view of the foregoing it is seen that the present invention providesan improved and versatile building partition construction that affordsthe various objects and features described hereinabove.

I claim:

1. In a building partition construction, the combination comprising:

an elongate channel having a central wall and first and second spacedside walls extending therefrom at substantially right angles thereto,said side walls being located inwardly from the proximate side edges ofsaid central wall, the first of said side walls having a boss formed atthe free end thereof, said boss having a slot formed therein an-gularlydisposed in respect to said central wall at an angle of less than 90 andextending longitudinally thereof;

a detachable flange including a tongue portion adapted to slidably mountinto said slot for support by said boss wherein that portion of thedetachable flange not entering said slot is disposed parallel to saidcentral wall with the angle of said tongue portion relative to saidcentral wall selected to cause the tongue to bind within the slot andremain secured in the event of movement of said detachable flange alonga line normal to the central wall;

an elongate cover plate shaped to form a closure for said channelbetween said side walls and define a service raceway within the bosom ofthe channel; and means associated with said cover plate and said sidewalls for demountably securing the cover plate to the free edge of thesecond of said side walls and to said boss, said cover plate having oneedge away from the second side wall overlapping and engaging a portionof said detachable flange so as to retain the latter when said tongue isengaged in said slot, said cover plate being moveable from the closureposition without movement of said detachable flange and the latter beingremovable when said cover plate is disengaged from overlapping theflange.

2. In a building partition construction, the combination as claimed inclaim 1 and wherein further said slot is angularly disposed in respectto said central wall at an angle of 45.

3. In a building partition construction, the combination as defined inclaim 1 and wherein further said means includes means hingedly securingone edge of said cover plate to the free edge of said second side wall,and a clasp carried by the front wall of said cover plate adjacent theone edge thereof proximate said boss and formed for detachableengagement with the boss.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,016,993 1/1962 Owen 52-502 X3,160,244 12/1964 Kushner 52-221 X 3,195,698 7/1965 'Codrea 52-221 X3,212,225 10/1965 Neal 52-501 X 3,221,453 12/1965 Lietaert 52-209 FRANKL. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, R. A. STENZEL,

Assistant Examiners.

1. IN A BUILDING PARTITION CONSTRUCTION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: ANELONGATE CHANNEL HAVING A CENTRAL WALL AND FIRST AND SECOND SPACED SIDEWALLS EXTENDING THEREFROM AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, SAIDSIDE WALLS BEING LOCATED INWARDLY FROM THE PROXIMATE SIDE EDGES OF SAIDCENTRAL WALL, THE FIRST OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A BOSS FORMED AT THEFREE END THEREOF, SAID BOSS HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN ANGULARLYDISPOSED IN RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL WALL AT AN ANGLE OF LESS THAN 90*AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF; A DETACHABLE FLANGE INCLUDING ATONGUE PORTION ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY MOUNT INTO SAID SLOT FOR SUPPORT BYSAID BOSS WHEREIN THAT PORTION OF THE DETACHABLE FLANGE NOT ENTERINGSAID SLOT IS DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID CENTRAL WALL WITH THE ANGLE OFSAID TONGUE PORTION RELATIVE TO SAID CENTRAL WALL SELECTED TO CAUSE THETONGUE TO BIND WITHIN THE SLOT AND REMAIN SECURED IN THE EVENT OFMOVEMENT OF SAID DETACHABLE FLANGE ALONG A LINE NORMAL TO THE CENTRALWALL; AN ELONGATE COVER PLATE SHAPED TO FORM A CLOSURE FOR SAID CHANNELBETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND DEFINE A SERVICE RACEWAY WITHIN THE BOSOM OFTHE CHANNEL;